Ed, Edd n Eddy: Spontaneous Combustion, Part 1
by Thegracefultwister
Summary: After watching a meteor shower, Double D begins to act very strangely, and everyone is worried. Will Eddy be able to figure out why before it's too late? Rated T for violence and language. Constructive criticism is welcome. Please enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Saturday, November 8

It was a cool Saturday night, the sky illuminated by a half-moon. Not a single cloud shrouded the stars, making it perfect weather to watch a meteor shower.

Which was precisely what one boy had in mind.

His name was Edd, short for Eddward; although all his friends called him Double D. Sitting in the grass of an open field, Double D wore a brown zip-up jacket over a red-orange T-shirt, green cargo-shorts, red socks and blue Converse sneakers. As usual, his trademark black ski cap was pulled over his head, concealing his hair say for a few strands poking out in the back. A telescope and video camera were at the ready as Double D waited for the meteor shower to begin. He drew his jacket closer as he trembled with excitement. There was nothing more that filled him with joy than seeing science in action, except…

Double D sighed. _If only Ed and Eddy were here. They'll really be missing out on a real phenomenon._

Unfortunately, Ed was supposed to watch his younger sister Sarah while his parents went out for the night. And even if he didn't have to, Ed also had a nine o'clock curfew until the end of the school year unless his grades improved and he didn't get any more detentions.

That was wishful thinking since Ed was always with Eddy when he got in trouble.

Eddy… Double D wasn't sure what to do about him. He wasn't short on pranks, that's for sure, but Double D supposed he should be grateful Eddy no longer obsessed over scamming people for jawbreakers. The last scam the three of them did had ended in utter disaster. Double D had never seen so much chaos and destruction in one sitting before.

Double D gasped and realized his hands were balled into fists, his fingernails digging into his palms. He inspected his hands to make sure he hadn't drawn blood. Only reddened crescent grooves, just short of being cuts.

Double D rubbed his palms against the grass and huffed. He hated thinking back on that time, but it was so engraved in his memory he simply couldn't lock it away. It was a hard lesson he had to learn, pain and overbearing emotions a harsh benefactor.

_It's over_, Double D reminded himself. _I'm not twelve anymore. I need to move on._ But he knew right away it would come back to haunt him. He often wondered if Ed or Eddy, especially Eddy, felt the same way. He never brought it up but he hoped one day to discuss it; however, four years later, he never did, and probably never would.

_Courage, Eddward, courage._

He then thought back to why Eddy didn't want to come along. Ed had a perfectly reasonable excuse, but Eddy's was rather iffy: He didn't want to be out so late.

It was a lie, of course. Double D knew Eddy didn't want to watch the meteor shower with him. Double D would've preferred if Eddy had just said no instead of lying. At least then he would know right away instead of figuring it out on his own.

But, whether they liked it or not, Double D _would_ share his experience with his friends, hence why he brought the video camera.

Double D checked his watch, which read 11:40, then got up to check on his telescope. He aimed it at the moon and adjusted the resolution when it appeared slightly blurry. He switched on the video camera, adjusted its resolution, and then carefully aimed it so that the moon was in frame but did not overpower the shot. The meteors were the main stars.

He spent the next several minutes fiddling with his equipment and by the time he checked his watch again, it was 11:52. The meteor shower was due any second.

He was checking the video camera again when he saw the streams of light flash across the screen.

"Right on time!" he piped excitedly. He left the camera to record and watched several meteors fly by through his telescope.

Just then, a bright light appeared, glowing white with a sharp green hue. Double D frowned and focused his telescope on it. He pulled back as the light stung his eyes. Rubbing them on his sleeve, Double D looked up and noticed the light was not only getting brighter but bigger.

"Oh my…!" he gasped, realizing the light—a meteor, he assumed—was coming right at him and fast.

He started to grab the telescope but, after a second thought, took the video camera instead. Of all the times to do so, Double D couldn't help but think about how Ed and Eddy would react to the video. Ed would obviously be sad, Double D thought guiltily, but cheer himself up by referencing a movie he saw with a similar event. Eddy would most likely kick himself for not accompanying Double D and be upset for missing out on what would've been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

_Enough_, Double D scolded himself. _This isn't the time for petty thoughts._

A loud roar suddenly erupted, growing louder and louder. Double D covered one ear and kept running, holding the video camera close to him. He could only assume the meteor was about to crash.

…And what a crash it was.

The force of the blast swept Double D off his feet and he landed hard on his left arm. A shock of pain jolted through his body. The camera dug into his chest, but Double D refused to let it go even as his left arm spasmed from the pain. He curled into the fetal position, covering his head with his right arm. The blast of noise rang in his ears, numbing sounds from the rest of the world.

Double D squeezed his eyes shut and waited for it to end.

The crash itself didn't last very long; about ninety seconds at best. To Double D it seemed like a lifetime even as he counted to three hundred before finally moving. He winced as his arm throbbed and set the camera down. His ski cap rode up the side of his head and Double D tugged it back in place.

He handled the camera delicately and was relieved to find it still working. He looked back to where the meteor crashed. He estimated it landed around eighteen feet from where he originally was. What was left was a crater, glowing an ominous green.

He should go, to the safety of his home, but a sense of curiosity—the scientist within him—compelled Double D to investigate.

_Just one look_, he decided. _Just one look and I'll go._

Slowly rising to his feet, Double D inched his way to the edge of the crater. He held the video camera in front of him as it continued recording. He peeked over the edge and his jaw dropped.

"What in the world…?" he gasped.

Suddenly, a beam shot out from the crater, hitting Double D square in the chest. The video camera flew from his grasp as Double D once again found himself falling to the ground, only this time he hit his head.

The last thing he saw was the glow of the moon.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Sunday, November 9

Double D awoke with a start. He felt clammy and cold yet he was drenched in sweat. He cringed in disgust at the knowledge of sleeping in his body's salt deposits. That meant he would have to change his bed sheets again for the third time this week.

He froze.

He was in his room? How could that be?

Double D sprung out of bed and ran to the window, almost knocking over his telescope. Again, he froze, the large spyglass steadied in his grip. Hadn't he left this behind, when the meteor came crashing down? The sheer force of the blast should've done a number on the device but it was completely unscathed, out-of-the-box new.

He took a step back, trembling. _What in the world is going on?_ He was getting scared and hoped this was just a dream. A very _real_ dream, but a dream, nonetheless.

Something on his desk caught his attention and, to Double D's horror, realized it was his video camera. He could've sworn he dropped it when he fell. Right?

He shook his head. Something was off, he just couldn't pinpoint what.

Walking over to his desk, Double D picked up the camera and examined it. Like the telescope, it was completely devoid of cracks, discoloration, anything. He pressed the power button and sighed with relief when the machine hummed to life. Double D played back the recording from last night.

The first few minutes of the footage featured the night sky with the half-moon glowing on the left side of the screen. The image would zoom in and out every few minutes before finally settling, courtesy of Double D's fiddling with the resolution. The time was displayed in the upper left-hand corner, ticking through the minutes until the streaks of light sliced the sky.

Double D's foot tapped the floor in a steady pace as he watched the video, but then it grew louder and faster as the seconds ticked by. When was that damn meteor going to show up? He huffed in frustration, his hands tightening their grip on the plastic shell of the camera until he heard a crunch. The sound itself wasn't much, but it was enough for Double D to loosen his grip and actually press the Fast-Forward button to speed up the video.

The streaks of light continued diving toward the Earth at a more rapid pace now, the moon inching higher and higher until it was almost out of frame. And yet the sudden ball of light he had witnessed last night never appeared. There should've been something; he clearly recalled the white light glowing brightly like a small sun as it soared down. Or was the color green? He shook his head; color didn't matter except that he knew what he saw and was almost crushed by it.

And yet as he watched the video until it reached the end and the screen blanked out, a feeling of doubt poured over him. Had he just imagined the whole fiasco last night? Had he just dozed off due to the late hour and didn't remember packing his things and heading home?

He didn't know. He just didn't know.

Switching the camera off, Double D set it back on his desk, pulled out the desk chair and slipped into it. He leaned forward, resting his chin on his folded arms, trying to comprehend his situation. The motion caused a throb to spike from the back of his head, making him wince. He massaged his fingers tenderly over the spot, the fabric of his ski cap soft to the touch.

He stopped, an idea coming to mind.

Quickly retracing the events of last night, he could clearly recall he fallen over twice in very short period of time: once on his arm, the other on his head. He lifted his right arm, stretched it and moved it around several times. It felt fine and he tried his left. If he had been to wrapped up in the camera video before to notice anything, he could clearly feel the stiffness in his arm now. He unzipped his jacket and threw it off, then pulled his sleeve up and saw purplish-red mark on his bicep. A clear mark from hitting the ground too hard. But then again, he could've just tripped in the dark when heading back home.

He frowned. He needed more proof then this. What else could there be…?

_The crater! It has to be there!_ If he found it, then last night wouldn't entirely be a dream after all.

Double D rose to his feet so fast he knocked the chair over. Wasting no more time, he raced out of his room and barreled to the front door, excitement and fear rolling through his gut. He was reaching for the doorknob when the doorbell rang. He froze, staring at the door. Who could that be this early in the morning?

Double D grasped the knob and opened the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Sunday, November 9

It was Eddy.

Double D blinked slowly to make sure he was seeing things correctly. Out of all the visitors to come by, he did not expect Eddy—or maybe he should have. Double D didn't know. He felt like banging his head against the wall, his mind was so knotted.

"Hey, Double D," Eddy greeted, offering a tentative smile.

He changed a lot in the past few years. Although rather stocky yet somehow lean, Eddy was now at eye-level with Double D's chin. His tuft of black hair was unkempt and he had long since ditched his old bowling shirt for a simple yellow polo; his light blue jeans were worn at the knees, ready to tear at any time. A chain attached to his belt slithered into his pocket, no doubt attached to his wallet. Double D suddenly wondered if Eddy still had that postcard he received from older brother.

He gripped the doorjamb tightly, his knuckles whitening. Why of all times was he thinking about _that_?

"Hi, Eddy," he said, trying to sound pleasant. "What brings you here so early?"

Eddy cocked his head, confused. "'Early'? Sockhead, it's almost ten o'clock." He pointed at his watch for emphasis, which read 9:48 a.m.

Double D blinked. "Oh, so it is, uh…" He sighed, opening the door more and stepped away. "I just wasn't expecting anyone, that's all." His knees felt weak, all the excitement he had mustered up drained rapidly. He collapsed on the sofa, rubbing his forehead. His plan to find the crater, it all sounded so stupid now. _What was I thinking?_

By now, Eddy had shut the front door and followed Double D into the living room. He remained standing, hands in his pockets, watching Double D. "Did something happen?" he asked. He sounded concerned.

Double D peered at him, wondering. If Eddy had been there last night, he wouldn't be asking questions like that. He'd probably be just as confused, scared, and—

He cut off the thought, knowing he shouldn't bother to imagine such things because Eddy wasn't there.

He gasped through clenched teeth when he felt a jolt of pain, dissolving into a stinging throb. He looked down and saw his hand balled into a tight fist, the skin almost bone white. Slowly, he uncurled his fingers and small beads of red bubbled up from the crescent moons of his nails.

Eddy stared, eyes wide. He hesitated but then inched closer to look at Double D's bleeding palm. He chewed his lip. "Edd?" he asked, trying to catch Double D's eye.

Double D ignored him, focusing on his hand. He was about to close his fingers over the blood, but knew it would not hide the tremble coursing through him. He felt hot with frustration and wanted to just grab the nearest object and hurl it at the wall. His hand twitched and then…the growling of his stomach cut through the air.

Double D jumped at the sound and found Eddy just as bewildered. They made eye contact and held it for three seconds before smiles cracked and they broke into a fit of hysterical laughter. Eddy hunched down, holding his stomach while Double D leaned back against the sofa, covering his eyes with his uncut hand. The tension had long dispersed.

Wiping tears from his eyes, Eddy looked Double D over. "Why don't you go clean yourself up," he suggested. "I'll make you an omelet."

_Good idea_, Double D thought, noting he was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. Eddy making breakfast, though…

Eddy was already on his way to the kitchen. "Eddy," he called, standing up, "you don't need to do that."

"Gotta occupy myself somehow," was the reply.

Double D sighed as he stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching Eddy pull a pan from a bottom cabinet, set it on the stove and switch the burner on. "Alright fine, just don't blow up the kitchen or anything."

Eddy made a face as he opened the fridge. "Who do you think I am? Ed?" he asked, withdrawing a carton of eggs.

Rolling his eyes, Double D turned away. "Don't make a mess," he called over his shoulder.

"Whatever you say, Sockhead."

Shaking his head, Double D climbed the stairs.

XXX

A shower was just what Double D needed. The rush of water pounding his back helped quell any more tension from earlier. It surprised him that he had been mere moments away from bursting.

It was so impulsive, so… Double D failed to grasp another word for it.

The back of his head started throbbing again and Double D placed a hand over it, careful not to apply pressure. He winced. It could easily be fixed with ibuprofen.

Turning off the water, Double D toweled himself off and popped two pills. He went to his room and searched for fresh clothes. Slowly but surely, his mind was eased on a smooth track. After adorning his ski cap, he was finally, truly ready for the day.

He eyed the video camera on his desk and grabbed it before heading down to the kitchen.

Eddy had kept the stove and countertops free of any mess, although he did pile the dirty dishes in the sink.

"You rinsed those off, right?" Double D asked, pointing to the sink.

Eddy waved dismissively. "Don't worry about it. What's the camera for?"

Double D sat opposite of Eddy where the omelet and a glass of orange juice were waiting. He placed the camera near the center of the table. "I filmed some of the meteor shower last," he said, unfolding a napkin in his lap. . "I wanted to share it with you and Ed," he added. He picked up his fork and dug into the omelet. Although a little burnt and crispy along the edges, it was very good. Eddy's cooking skills were improving.

Eddy didn't reply, tapping the red skin of an apple. Double D could only guess he was thinking back on when he declined to come watch the meteor shower.

As much as Double D wanted to talk about it, he didn't have the energy to push it.

He changed the subject. "No experiments this time, I noticed."

A smile curled Eddy's lips. "I didn't feel like torturing you today. Besides, Ed's not here to help." He flashed bright teeth.

Double D snorted a laugh into his juice. _Of course_, he thought. Whenever the three of them got together, and Eddy was in the mood to cook, he and Ed would experiment with different recipes, even creating their own. Double D was sometimes prone to being the taste-tester, and some of the food was more than memorable. He could still taste an omelet with marshmallow, carrots, and bacon bits on his tongue. Shuddering, he pushed his plate away and forced himself to swallow the remaining food in his mouth.

"What happened to your arm?" Eddy asked, pointing at Double D's arm. The bruise was peeking out from under his sleeve.

Double D placed a hand over it. "Oh, this? I tripped and hit a rock on the way home." He bit his tongue when he realized what he just said. Why did he lie? Why not tell the truth?

Eddy watched him for several moments before climbing to his feet, collecting Double D's plate, and dumping unfinished food into the trash can.

"Ready to go to Ed's house?" he asked.

Double D nodded and picked up the video camera. He found his mind drifting back to last night. Did that meteor crash really happen, or was it all just a dream? He wondered if he should investigate it, but then decided against it.

It was a silly idea, anyway.


End file.
